Vantage Deluxe World Travel is launching two new 176-passenger river cruise ships in Europe in March.
The River Splendor and River Venture, which will both depart on dual inaugural voyages from Antwerp to Amsterdam on March 13, are part of a $120 million fleet investment program, which will double Vantage’s river cruising fleet by 2014.
Vantage said that it is building the new ships in response to a 50% increase in customers over the past five years.
“We’ve had an overwhelming demand,” Debbie Allen, chief marketing officer of Vantage Deluxe World Travel, said in a release.
The ships will feature French Balcony staterooms with floor-to-ceiling windows; a 330-square-foot owner’s suite; eight solo cabins on the Splendor and four solo cabins on the Venure; a cafe at the aft of the ships with a retractable roof; WiFi and satellite service throughout the ships; and elevators and a hydraulic chair lift to the sun deck.
There will also be fitness centers onboard.
Vantage has been in the river cruise industry since 1999. The company is predominantly direct-to-consumer, but it does pay a 10% commission to travel agents.